Jun 18
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1 John

1 John | Famous Last Words

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A Heart Made of Hands

Imagine you had thirty seconds left to live. The scent of fresh-cut flowers tries in vain to mask the chemical smell of the hospital room. Your friends and family surround your bed, listening eagerly to hear what you’ll use your last bit of strength to say. What would it be?

I’m not sure what I would say. I like to think that I would come up with something brilliant and witty. In truth, I would probably blurt out something mushy and sentimental. Some people have said some pretty interesting things in that situation, though.  Wikiquote has a good compilation of real last words.  Here are a few of my favourites:

  • I’m going away tonight. (James Brown)
  • I should never have switched from scotch to martinis. (Humphrey Bogart)
  • That was a great game of golf, fellers. (Bing Crosby)
  • It’s very beautiful over there. (Thomas Edison)
  • Love one another. (George Harrison)

…

There’s a story that Jerome, the Bible translator, told about the Apostle John.  Apparently, when he was too old to string together coherent sentences, he kept mumbling the words that Harrison echoed about 19 centuries years later: “brothers and sisters, love each other” (Jerome, “Comm. in ep. ad.

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